Certified Proud: Proudly supporting the LGBTQ+ community

Proudly supporting the LGBTQ+ community; Certified Proud launch “The Certified Proud Fund” to provide financial support for charities, non-profit organisations and projects working towards LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

Certified Proud call on charities, non-profit organisations and projects to apply for financial support from the Certified Proud Fund to aid work on LGBTQ+ inclusion

The Certified Proud Fund is made up of donations from companies like Brown Thomas Arnotts, Arup and Huckletree who have taken the pledge to create inclusive organisations for the LGBTQ+ community.

The Certified Proud Fund is open for applications now and will close on June 11th at 5:00pm 23rd May 2022.

As we emerge from the pandemic, the need to support the LGBTQ+ community is imperative. Over the past two years, we have seen an increase in homophobic, transphobic and biphobic abuse. It is crucial to ensure LGBTQ+ visibility, safety and inclusivity as we try to create a fair, equal world.

Founded in 2020, Certified Proud is a membership accreditation body that works with businesses across Ireland to empower them to become safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. Each company that signs up to the network agrees to embed the Certified Proud principles of safety, visibility, inclusivity, equality, respect, commitment and advocacy into their organisation.

Once a year, each company is audited to ensure they are truly working to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity. The network consists of companies like Brown Thomas Arnotts, Thriftify, Arup and Pinsent Masons. For a full list of Certified Proud companies, click here.

Each company also pays a membership fee; 40% of which is donated to “The Certified Proud Fund”. The Certified Proud Fund aims to financially support charities, non-profit organisations and projects which are working for the betterment of the LGBTQ+ community. Applications for the Certified Proud Fund are now open and will close on June 11th at 5pm. We want to hear from all organisations which are making Ireland a better place for the LGBTQ+ community. So whether you are a charity working with vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community or a queer sports club, the Certified Proud Fund is for you! For more information Click Here. 

Liam Redmond, Co-Founder of Certified Proud said, “At Certified Proud, we have been working with businesses of all sizes to create inclusive safe spaces for queer people. Today, we are excited to launch The Certified Proud Fund, which will support charities, non-profit organisations and projects that are vital to the LGBTQ+ community. The road to equality is a long one, where every person and organisation has a responsibility. We hope that the Certified Proud will allow these wonderful organisations to continue their amazing work”.